Torchwood Revolutions
by AbbyVelvet
Summary: Haven't updated for months, sorry! I do intend to finish this now.
1. Chapter 1

TORCHWOOD - REVOLUTIONS

CHAPTER ONE

"What's that?" Jack said, coming down the stairs into the hub.

"No idea" Gwen replied - " it just appeared out of nowhere."

"Check the infiltration systems. Tosh do a remote scan"

"Already on it"

"And no one is to touch it until we know what it is." he paused, listening to a tapping sound coming from the autopsy bay. "Owen - are you listening?"

"Yes"

"What did I just say then?

"Erm... Don't put tissue samples in the fridge again?"

Jack stood motionless.

"O.k. No looking at internet porn when I'm working?"

Jack's foot started tapping. "One more go."

"You want that report on last week's UFO sighting in Snowdonia by the end of the day or I'll be mucking out the weevil cages for the next week?"

Jack looked at Owen with a grin. "I actually said Don't touch the mysterious package that just materialised on Gwen's desk, but as you've been so helpful: a) Don't, b) again, don't - I'll be checking the internet logs tonight and c) It's a fortnight."

Owen stomped back to the autopsy bay muttering while the girls got on with their work.

Ianto walked through the cog shaped door, takeaway bags in hand. "Right who ordered sweet and sour chicken?"

The hub alarm sounded, followed by a screech from the rafters.

"Three weevils spotted in Porthcawl" said Tosh.

"Right" said Jack, running down the stairs from his office "Owen and Tosh with me, Gwen follow in you car - there is definitely not enough room in the SUV for four people and Three weevils."

The four of them rushed out of the hub armed with anti-weevil spray and tranquiliser guns.

"Right then" Ianto said to the empty hub. "I'll calm the pterodactyl down then shall I?"

Two "BBQ" steaks, a scratched arm and twenty minutes later, Ianto climbed down from Myfanwy's Eyrie and started tidying the hub. He looked up as the computer beeped and opened the instant messenger.

CJH: Ianto?

IJ: Yes Jack?

CJH: Have you managed to calm Myfanwy down yet?

IJ: Very amusing sir - is that why were all in such a hurry to leave?

CJH: Yep.

CJH: Anyway, as it's such a lovely day and we've scared the shit out of three kids in hoodies, sorry, weevils,

TS: That's not funny Jack - we were working from a police report.

CJH: Next time check the local CCTV first Tosh. Anyway Ianto, we're going to get Fish and Chips now we're out- Gwen's building a sand castle and Owen's gone to scare some more hoodies - maybe we should hunt them down for weevil practice.

TS: Again, not funny Jack. We'll be back in a couple of hours Ianto. You can hold the fort?

IJ: Yes Tosh - I can keep an eye on the rift monitor, check your programs are all running smoothly, delete CCTV of you four scaring the local youth, sort out the autopsy bay and finish Gwen's report as well as doing my own work, cleaning the hub and putting our Chinese in the fridge for tomorrow.

IJ: ...

IJ: ...

IJ: Tosh?

IJ: Jack?

"Sod it" Ianto said to no one in particular. He sat and ate his noodles, enjoying the peace and quiet for once. "Right" he told Myfanwy who had perched on the railings, staring at his food. "As you're the only person who doesn't treat me like a doormat, you can eat the prawn crackers while I get on with the tidying up."

Ianto moved down to the main area, picking up a dustbin bag from the kitchen on his way. Myfanwy looked at him interestedly as he moved around the different desks picking up rubbish and putting papers in heir correct folders. He approached Gwen's desk and put empty paper cups in the rubbish bag. He looked at the report she had open on her screen.

_Report into recent weevil disturbance in Splott_

_Gwen Cooper_

_15th July_

_Tonight at 10pm two weevils were seen on foxglove road. They appeared disressed. Possibly due to strange rift energy._

"No shit Sherlock" said Ianto, exasperated. Myfanwy cocked her head at him. "You could do a better job and you're an extinct reptile! Well... I did say I'd finish it for her..."

Ianto grinned and hastily added:

_Report into recent weevil disturbance in Splott_

_Gwen Cooper_

_15th July_

_Tonight at 10pm two weevils were seen on foxglove road. They appeared disressed. Possibly due to strange rift energy._

_**Although if I could be arsed to do this properly rather than flirting with my boyfriend on the instant messenger and trying to talk Jack into giving me and Tosh Thursday night off so we can go to the new Bond film,( purely for the gratuitous swimming trunk shot), I would have detailed their exact location (GPS anyone?), defined "distressed" (after all, the person reading this in 20 years time might not actually be psychic), and cross-referenced this to Tosh's readings on the "strange rift activity".**_

_**This would of course mean that we have a useful report .**_

_**So I wont bother doing that.**_

_**Jack just gives us paper work for the hell of it.**_

_**We could never, say, link this to all the other recent reports of unusual weevil activity to gain an insight into their sensitivity to the rift and how his could be useful for Torchwood.**_

_**That would be too much like hard work.**_

_**I'll just give this half-arsed report to Ianto and he'll **__**finish**__** do it for me.**_

_**Good old Ianto. I mean it's not like he has to do anything more than make coffee all day.**_

_****_

_****_

Ianto pressed send, posting the report to Jack's inbox. He looked around the desk for more filing or rubbish. He spotted a small parcel wrapped with string.

"Hello - what have we got here?"

Myfanwy screeched, and flew back up to her cave.

Ianto picked up the parcel and gave it a shake - nothing. It felt heavy and cold to the touch. He undid the string.

"Bet Jack's been giving out sex toys again in lieu of wages."

Myfanwy screeched again, hopping from talon to talon in her roost.

A turquoise stone dropped onto the desk. It had an almost mesmerising silver shimmer. Ianto tentatively held out his hand. The stone was beautiful, almost ethereal. He touched it with his fingertips. The stone emitted a warn glow sending a thrilling tingle down his arm. He picked it up, marvelling at its colour, lost in the sensations emanating from it.

Jack looked down to the beach from his vantage point on the promenade, eating an ice cream.

"Hey" He shouted down to the rest of his team "It's time we were heading back - dig Owen up now and get back to the SUV"

"Can't" said Gwen cheekily "The kid who's spade we borrowed has gone home!"

"We should do his more often Jack, it's really good for team morale" said Tosh, smiling as she walked past him.

Owen pushed himself up from out of the sand. "I agree - I've been buried for nearly half an hour and I'm not pissed off at all! This was brilliant. We should leave Ianto in charge more often."

"Shit I'd forgotten about him" mumbled Jack. "Oh well, back to work".

"Jack..." said Tosh ominously, "When we were rushing out you did tell him about that strange package...didn't you?"

"Jack?" she repeated.

"Gwen, get Ianto on the phone - he's worked for Torchwood for years, wouldn't mess about with a suspected alien artifact"

"Yes..." said Gwen softly.

"What?"

"Gwen? Speak to me!"

"Well, it was just a small package wrapped in brown paper, left on my desk. Didn't look suspicious."

"And we don't normally leave possibly alien, possibly dangerous artifacts lying around" chipped in Owen.

"He's not answering" said Gwen, now worried.

Ianto knew he had been staring at the stone a long time, but he had to draw his eyes away from it - he had work to do. It was just so...beautiful. He closed his eyes and let out the deep breath he didn't realise he had been holding in. He slipped the stone into his pocket and opened his eyes.

The last thing he expected to see in the hub was a small man about four foot tall, wearing purple robes. He had a necklace of slender white and grey feathers about his neck, his skin shimmered in a familiar turquoise-silver, albeit much paler than the stone. He coughed impatiently.

"Who are you and what are you doing in the hub?" asked Ianto, panicked. "Why aren't the intruder alarms going off?"

The man looked at Ianto, a puzzled expression crossing his delicate features.

_Hang on a minute - this isn't the hub. Where am I? Oh bloody hell - how did I get here? Jack's going to kill me._

Ianto suddenly felt very dizzy.

_I am NOT going to faint and I am NOT going to scream like a girl. I am NOT going to faint and I am NOT going to scream like a girl. I am NOT going to faint and I am NOT going to scream like a girl. I am Not ... goin..to ...fuck..._

Barxico Fallior Den III turned and addressed the crowd spread out below the balcony he stood upon. "My noble citizens" he began, scanning the hopeful faces staring back at him. "We may have a small problem..."

TO BE CONTINUED


	2. Chapter 2

"Ianto" bellowed Jack , striding into the hub.

"He's not here - the life signs monitor just shows the four of us." said Toshiko, looking at the hand-held scanner.

"He's probably done a bunk" said Owen "Lazy git hasn't even finished cleaning the autopsy bay."

"You know that _is_ actually your job" replied Jack, bringing up the hub's CCTV system on the nearest screen. His brow furrowed with worry. "Right, here we go..."

They watched Ianto doing the rounds, tidying and filing, methodical as always. He reached Gwen's desk and sat down.

The CCTV screen flickered and went blank before reloading to a shot of the unoccupied desk.

The team turned at a crash coming from Gwen's station. "It's not here"

"What's not where?" asked Owen, salivating as Gwen backed out from under her desk.

"_IT'S_ NOT HERE!" she repeated.

"Again, not with you."

"The package - it's gone."

"So's the CCTV footage" said Jack grimly. "Can you get it back Tosh?"

"I'll try - I don't think it's been deleted, it looks like something interfered with the recording."

"Just do something" said Jack.

Ianto felt himself coming round.

It was pitch black.

_Need to open eyes_ he thought.

A soft humming reverberated around him.

He opened his eyes, blurred images clearing slowly.

"Ah, you are awake." said the small man leaning over him. He was wearing a white coat and a red chequered tie which clashed quite alarmingly with his blue-silver skin. "I apologise for the inconvenience, my assistant missed a zero when setting the oxygen levels you require. An easy mistake to make - I mean, who would have thought? 20! **20**!! Highly inflammable."

Ianto looked around him cautiously. He had a slight headache. _Oxygen deprivation_ he thought to himself.

He was lying on a small bed covered with crisp white sheets in a room panelled with light coloured wood.

"Who..." he began. The small man walked through a door at the end of the room, chuckling quietly to himself.

"He is healer Rax."

Ianto jumped at the sound of a soft voice behind him.

"Forgive me, I didn't mean to startle you. I am Gren."

Gren moved from behind the bed slowly, her head bowed, silver skin shimmering slightly in the light.

"It's all right" said Ianto "I just didn't know you were there"

She looked up and smiled shyly.

"If there is anything you require please let me know - I will wait outside the door." she said, gesturing

"Erm, thank you. Where exactly am I?"

"Oh, Leader Barxico will be here to see you soon - maybe he can explain."

"Maybe?"

"Well, we weren't expecting you - someone else, erm sorry. I don't really know how - oh dear" a tear slipped from her eye.

"Don't cry"

"Sorry" she sobbed "It's just that no one really tells me what's going on and then I get blamed for all the mistakes"

"I know how that feels" said Ianto, smiling" "Here, I've got a handkerchief somewhere..." He felt under the covers. "Oh, where are my clothes?" He said, blushing.

"Assistant Lorent is repairing them" said Gren.

Ianto got redder

"You landed on the sacred cactus when you fell..." She started giggling. Ianto couldn't help joining in. "Anyway, she will bring them back soon. I'll just be outside, get some rest."

"O.K." said Ianto, watching her close the door behind her.

He looked at the room again - there was a clipboard on a small table beside the bed. He picked it up

Subject: Human (System scan confirms)

Air required: Nitrogen 78

Oxygen 20

(No other gases needed but some poisonous - see data sheet H 01/96)

Current humidity is sufficient.

No information on diet etc, to be ascertained form subject when conscious.

Recorded by assistant Gren 02/33/2681

** Don't be so stupid girl - everything would catch fire! Must be 2**

** Healer Rax**

Ianto smiled to himself. He suddenly felt relaxed, strange considering he appeared to be:

(1) In an alien world,

(2) Naked.

Alien and Naked. Just jack's cup of tea.

Oh well, at least they didn't want him to make the coffee.

"Anything yet Tosh?" demanded Jack.

"I think I just...YES! I've got it!"

The team turned to her screen, an image flickered into life of Ianto standing up from Gwen's desk, picking up the package, unwrapping it and staring at the stone that fell out. A bright silver light seemed to travel from the stone, up his arm and envelop him before he disappeared.

"Well that confirms it then" said Owen

"Confirms what?" asked Tosh, puzzled.

"He's gone". Owen grinned slightly

"You really are an insensitive prick" fumed Gwen.

"I know - just - well, at least it wasn't one of us."

"What?" said Gwen

"What I mean is that out of all of us, Ianto is the easiest to replace - he doesn't really do anything important."

"We are a team" said Jack, forcefully. "We look out for each other and don't you forget that"

It had been 12 hours since Ianto had disappeared. The team were all still in the hub even Owen was worried. There was nothing they could do but nobody wanted to go home, 'just in case'.

Jack stood on the raised walkway outside his office. He had lost so many friends over the years, but it still hurt. He felt helpless. He tried to stay strong for the other members of his team. It had been going well until he checked his messages.

"Jack, what's the matter?"

Jack jumped. Gwen had taken him by surprise.

"We treated him so badly, like a servant instead of part of the team and now it's my fault he's gone."

"It's not your fault Jack - you couldn't have known what the stone did"

"No, but I should have put it into containment when we went out - I broke procedures that I set down. I'm the boss; I'm responsible for all of you."

Gwen walked over and hugged him. "We will do everything we can to find out what happened to him."

"I know you will."

"Jack" shouted Tosh from below them. "I'm picking up some strange energy readings..."

"Never mind that" interrupted Owen, "something's just materialised on the bloody lift!"

The four gathered round as the lift slowly descended, a familiar blue box atop it.

Jack grinned_. Problem solved_ he thought.

The box reached the bottom and a door opened.

"Hello Jack, you haven't seen a package about so big by any chance?" The doctor held up his hands to indicate the size. "Someone" he glared back over his shoulder, "opened the doors just over a rift storm, thought it would probably end up here"

"How many times do I have to say I'm sorry? - I thought you said 'can you open the door' not 'can you open this jar'. I mean, you can travel through time and space solving everyone's problems but can't even make a cheese and pickle sandwich without help!"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

13 March 2008

18:33

The room which leader Barxico Fallior Den III was stood in was an explosion of colour compared to the crisp white surroundings of the medical corridors. Ianto blinked as he took in the myriad coloured murals snaking around the circular room. The ceiling was domed glass, showing the midnight blue sky with twinkling stars and what appeared to be two small moons.

"Go in - he's waiting for you" said assistant Lorent.

Ianto smiled nervously and stepped into the room, taking in the floor which was a mosaic of wood concealing small lights which shone on the walls.

"Ah, our visitor is awake I see" said the old man. He was studying a mural on the far wall closely.

"Yes, thank you - sorry about the cactus, by the way."

"What? ... Oh!" He chuckled "Don't worry - we have plenty more. I'm glad Lorent managed to mend your clothes - I'm afraid we would not have had anything that fitted you otherwise."

"Erm thanks, where am I?"

"That question is easy enough. You are on planet Kurm 3, that is, the third planet from the star Kurm which we affectionately call New Erith. We inhabited this world after some of our ships, carrying the population being evacuated from our old world, Erith, developed mechanical problems and had to make an emergency landing. We have existed here for 10 solar cycles waiting for the other ships to find their destination, refuel and come to rescue us. I don't think that that is the question you really wanted answering though."

"Oh." said Ianto "Why am I here?"

"That would be may well be the more pertinent question; however the answer is 'I don't know'".

"Oh."

Barxico sighed and started pacing around the room. "Where did you find the teleportation stone?"

"The what stone? Oh - this?" Ianto reached into his pocket and pulled out the stone. "It was on Gwen's desk"

Barxico raised his eyebrows

"I mean I found it at work, I don't know where it came from."

"Well, you may as well look around the place and enjoy yourself, we don't know how to send you back and the planet will be destroyed in a week's time." Barxico choked back a sob and hurried out of the room.

Ianto had spent nearly an hour looking at the murals in the room while he tried to get over his shock at Barxico's words. He had tried both his mobiles to no avail.

"I gather you were unable to help leader Barxico then" said a small voice from the door behind him.

Ianto span round "Oh, hello Gren - I don't think he's very happy with me."

"Well, you weren't who we were expecting"

"Oh?..."

"Didn't he tell you?"

Ianto looked puzzled.

"Look at the mural" said Gren, pushing him towards the picture Barxico had been studying when Ianto came in. "Are you standing comfortably?"

"Yes, why?"

"Then I will start." said Gren, smiling.

"It doesn't go like that on the planet I come from".

"Shush so I can tell you the story..."

_"We used to live on a lush green planet called Erith in the Barx system. Our star was ageing and soon Erith would become uninhabitable. The leaders found a new world suitable for us to start a new colony and evacuation began - the first hundred ships left 50 years ago to start building our new cities, the other citizens started moving soon after, it took thousands of ships in total - transporting people, cargo, animals and plants to this new world. Everything was going to plan until the last convoy of ten ships left Erith. They sustained damage during a meteor storm and so we made an emergency landing on this arid desert planet. We set off emergency beacons and did the best we could while waiting for rescue. There were 500 people in total plus two ships carrying plants and another with the exhibits from our central museum including the murals you see in this room. We knew it would take at least twelve years for the beacon signal to be picked up and the rescue ships to arrive but we managed to collect enough water to survive and grow our food plants and we even stripped out our ships to build this town. We were happy for a few years - life went on, the only problems were the desert crabs and the heat, but our technicians built an energy dome over the whole city to protect us. Nothing can get through this without a teleport stone. One day, a man appeared in the middle of the council chamber, he said his name was The Doctor and he had got here when he found a stone on the sand in a far off planet. We recognised it as part of the great mural which was missing - it must have been resonating on the same frequency as the mural itself and brought him here when he touched it. When the piece was inserted in the mural, a scene which had previously been of the great forest on Erith changed to what you see now. Our technician then made a new stone that would activate when the time came so the doctor could come back and save us."_

Gren gestured at the rest of the mural which showed a man in a brown overcoat, pinstriped suit and trainers fighting an army of green bulbous foes, finally standing in victory atop a small hill, a blue light emitting from a small object in his upraised hand.

"So what you're trying to tell me is that nosiness has just wiped out an entire planet." He looked at Gren, a tear slowly sliding down his cheek.

Gren looked at the floor.

OOOOO

"So..." said the doctor grimly."This Ianto any good at intergalactic warfare then? By the way, this coffee's terrible." He put the cup down with a grimace.

"Sorry - Ianto usually makes the coffee" said Gwen, a lump in her throat.

"So he's dead then?" asked Jack

"Him and a whole planet, and there's nothing I can do."


	4. Chapter 4

"So what can we do?" Ianto asked Gren as they walked down another winding corridor to the huge council chamber, which Ianto now realised was directly underneath the mural room.

"Nothing - you saw the prophecy in the mural. Panel one: the aliens declare war, which they did yesterday; panel two: they bombard our city, damaging the dome and we are left struggling to survive; panel three, the doctor arrives and saves us; panel four we have a big party and the rescue ships arrive to take us to our new planet. That is how it's meant to go. You can't change a prophecy."

"So you're just going to let them walk all over you?"

"We don't want to - but we can't survive without the dome and we won't let them enslave us - I'd rather die."

"But you can survive!" said Ianto vehemently, gabbing Gren's shoulders tightly. "You survived crash landing on a desert planet for fuck's sake! I can't believe you're just going to give up. There's always something you can do."

A small tear slipped from Gren's eye as she stared back at him. "The elders say there is nothing we can do now the Doctor isn't here to fulfil the prophecy."

"And you just believe them? Let me guess - Healer Rax is one of these elders is he?"

"Yes" she whimpered

"Well you've already proved yourself better than him once today." He loosened his grip on Gren and gently stroked her shoulders. "I'm sorry - I didn't mean to hurt you, I just can't bear to see you give up - there's always hope, there has to be or there's no point in living"

They hugged gently, Gren still sobbing quietly.

"Wise words indeed stranger"

They jumped apart as Barxico's voice came from the entrance of the council chamber. "I quite agree - never give up. Do you think the same Gren?"

"Yes sir - I believed that even before Ianto said it, but I must follow the elders - they know...I mean you know best". She bowed her head in reverence.

"No need to bow Gren - I am not an elder any more. The others seem to disagree with me on a few matters - they would rather us all gas ourselves than try diplomacy and self defence."

"Oh grandfather!" Gren ran to the old man and hugged him tightly. They stood clinging to each other for what seemed like hours.

"Ianto" said Barxico, finally letting go of Gren "I need you to do me a favour."

"Anything"

"There is a way out. A long time ago, before I was elected to the elder council I was an engineer, assistant to the woman who designed the dome. "He smiled at his granddaughter and put an arm around her shoulders."Gren's grandmother actually, but that's a story for another time, I hope. "

"She built a tunnel going from the kitchen cellar to the desert. Although we have a key to crack the dome when the rescue ships arrive, she wasn't taking any chances. The key could fail or we could need to evacuate before help came. No one knows about this but me and Henit - the old woman who cleans the cellars and one of my oldest friends. Between us, we maintain the escape route."

He smiled sadly. "I am old and frail - if the council follows through with their despicable plan, I charge you with getting Gren outside the dome. There is always a way to survive."

Turning once more to Gren he added "Take care of yourself poppet, I will try my best to join you if things go wrong but I am happy as long as you survive."

Barxico unwrapped his granddaughter from him and put her hands in Ianto.

"I promise to get her out"

"Thank you"

Barxico returned to the council chamber without looking back.


	5. Chapter 5

"What do we do now?" asked Ianto

"I don't know" Sobbed Gren "The council will wait until the last minute before they do anything drastic - this might actually be the first time their dallying has been of any benefit" She let out a brief giggle which soon turned into another sob.

"We've got until tomorrow at least then - let's go to the canteen and get something to drink. It's much easier to think after a coffee."

"What's coffee?"

"Oh dear."

"What?"

"Nothing - coffee is what keeps me going back home." He grinned at Gren who brightened at this.

"Will you tell me about your home?"

"It's boring...well, compared to this anyway."

"Tell me anyway" Gren smiled at him.

Ianto smiled back at her and held out his arm. Gren took it and they walked back towards the canteen.

"What do we do now?" asked Gwen

"Go to Starbucks I expect"

"DOCTOR!" shouted Donna

"What? I was just trying to lighten the mood"

"Well... Don't."

"Sorry."

"We go back to work" said Jack, emerging from his office for the first time in an hour. Everyone in the hub noticed his red eyes.

"So what do you think?" asked Gren as Ianto stared into his cup suspiciously.

"It's purple"

Gren laughed as Ianto sniffed the cup. "It smells like strawberries." He stated

"Just hurry up and drink it" came a voice from the back of the room.

Gren laughed again, "You've got to drink it now - everyone's watching"

Ianto's glance round the room confirmed that indeed 14 pairs of eyes were on him, most of them accompanied by bemused smirks. He took a sip from the cup.

"Mmm...that's not too bad - sort of like blackcurrant juice." He took another sip "I could get used to it ...Argh!" His face contorted into a grimace as he reached for the glass of water Gren held out to him.

"Oops! Did I forget to tell you to down it in one? Otherwise it tastes like, well, you get the picture" she smiled slyly as the rest of the diners erupted into fits of laughter.

"That was mean Gren" shouted Lorent from the back of the room. Ianto was still trying to get the foul taste out of his mouth.

"It's traditional" she replied indignantly. "Everyone does that when they first taste Grackberry juice. Besides, we haven't had a good laugh in a while." There were murmurs of agreement from around the room.

"Tell us about your world" said a youngish man from the table next to them.

"Yes - and about you, we could do with some cheering up!" added another voice from across the room.

"OK but you are so paying for that later Gren!" Ianto finished wiping his mouth with a napkin. "What do you want to know?" He looked at Gren who smiled coyly, her eyes on the table.

"What's your planet like? Is there a big city?" called Lorent, as the others gathered around to table.

"There are lots of big cities - seven continents erm landmasses? Separated by great oceans, all divided into many countries with different leaders, each country has many cities and towns, villages"

"Wow" said the man who had started the conversation. "What is the land like? Is it forest like Erith o desert like here?"

"Well it varies - there are deserts, forests, ice fields, rock, plains, anything you can think of really."

There were murmurings from the room

"What about the people? Do they all look like you?"

"Sort of - two arms, two legs, one head, no tentacles"

"Silly - that's not what he meant" said Gren

"Oh. I see - no, most of them aren't so devastatingly handsome as me."

"Are they all as modest too?"

Ianto laughed "Only joking, we're all pretty different really - just like you."

"What does...

_Half an hour later_

"Okay, you probably now have enough information about earth and its' inhabitants to mount an invasion. It can't be that interesting." said Ianto.

"Well..., maybe we will - when we have a way of getting to the other side of the universe. I'd like to see a hippopotamus, they sound interesting."

"You really are quite unique Gren - do you know that?"

"I'll take that as a compliment shall I?"

"Oh definitely"

Gren and Ianto stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like ages. Most of the other people had already left; the few remaining now smiled knowingly at each other and went to a different table.

EVERYBODY REPORT TO COUNCIL CHAMBER FOR EMERENCY MEETING


	6. Chapter 6

The population filed into the council chamber, filling the balconies and central floor area, waiting for the council to arrive on the stage. The room was buzzing with worried murmurs. Ianto looked over Gren's head who was whispering with Lorent to see Barxico gesturing to him. It was hard to move through the tension permeating the air.

"Take this". Barxico pressed a small metal device into Ianto's hand. "I scavenged it from the museum exhibits, It opens any lock - may be useful if our plans are discovered. I think I've found a way to slow them down, you might be able to get more out than just Gren."

"So you're certain they plan to ... Well.."

"Yes - the councillor who has emerged as leader is a member of the Argeltyne pacifists. An extreme group who believe that it is better to commit suicide that be killed in battle - a step too far if you ask me. Although they did always have the nicest cakes at their meetings - perhaps that's why they are so efficient at recruiting new members."

"Barxico? BARXICO ?" Shouted Ianto

"Oh, sorry dear - just forgot to put the cat out." replied Barxico loudly.

"What on earth are you going on about?"

"Earth? Erith? Am I a chicken?" Barxico winked at Ianto before whispering "Just practicing" and turned to the crowd, debating loudly the merits of coleslaw versus talcum powder for wart removal.

Ianto walked back to Gren slightly puzzled but still trusting her grandfather. He gripped her hand tightly as the council members made their way onto the platform. Gren looked up and smiled at him.

"What's grandfather up to?" she asked.

"I think he's going o make the proceedings rather interesting"

"Yep - that sounds like my granddad."

"Come on - let's move up to the gallery, we can see better from there" said Lorent

Gren and Ianto hurried to the viewing gallery of the council chamber. They joined the throng gathering inside and took seats at the back. They heard snatches of conversation all around. "What's happening?"..."Are we going to fight?"... "I heard Barxico has been deposed". "It's his fault"

The last man to speak turned and pointed at Ianto.

"The doctor was meant to come and save us but you came instead and now we're all dead!"

The man approached, his fists raised to strike Ianto.

"Look I'm sorry - I don't really want to be here either but I'm stuck here and have no intention of dying - if the doctor can't save you, you'll just have to save yourselves." Ianto shouted, the past day finally getting to him.

"We can't - they're too strong" spat back the man.

_SILENCE PLEASE _erupted from a loudspeaker. Everyone turned to look at the stage.

THANK YOU - THE COUNCIL HAVE BEEN DEBATING HARD ALL MORNING TO CONSIDER OUR OPTIONS IN THE FACE OF THIS ENEMY,

Even on the gallery, Barxico's snort could be heard. The speaker gave him a dagger-like look.

AHEM, AS YOU NO DOUBT ARE AWARE, BARXICO HAS LEFT THE COUNCIL DUE TO A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION. HEALER RAX IS NOW OUR LEADER - ALL HAIL LEADER RAX.

There was silence as everyone assembled looked at each other in puzzlement.

I SAID ALL HAIL LEADER RAX.

"But you can't do that" Shouted a woman from the other side of the hall. "We have to vote to decide who the next leader is."

EMERENCY PROCEDURES HAVE BEEN PUT INTO PLACE - THERE WILL BE NO VOTING WHILST WE ARE THREATENED continued the speaker from his script. THE COUNCIL FEELS THAT WE ARE ALL SURELY TO DIE OR BE ENSLAVED BY THIS ENEMY AND IN PREFERENCE, OUR MASTER CHEMIST IS BREWING UP A LETHAL POISON THAT WE SHALL TAKE WHEN THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE. THAT IS ALL - YOU WILL REASEMBLE HERE TOMMORROW AT DUSK.

DISMISSED

There was silence in the hall before mumbling and sobs commenced.

"Oh well at least one good thing has come out of this" said Lorent

"What on Krum could that be?" sobbed Gren

"The master Chemist is my cousin and he's more scared of me than the council !"

"I can believe that" said a man standing next to them.

Lorent glared at him.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

Lorent led the way as Gren and Ianto followed her up the narrow dark passage.

'How much further does this tunnel go?' asked Ianto anxiously. The tunnel was getting narrower and narrower, not a problem for Lorent and Gren but he was in danger of getting stuck very soon.

'We're here' whispered Lorent. 'Be quiet, I can hear him talking with Rax.'

'What are they saying?' asked Gren.

'I can't quite work it out. Swap over, your hearing is sharper.'

Ianto could hear shuffling noises punctuated with the occasional oomph as the girls squeezed past each other in front of him. Several minutes later a loud bang reverberated down the passage and Gren yelped.

'What's going on?' asked Lorent.

'He was asking for an antidote - something to protect the council from the poison. Your cousin said there wasn't anything and Rax got angry. We need to get in quickly I think Burtie might be hurt.'

'Bang three times then pause for two and bang once more. He'll let us in.'

'What if he can't?' asked Ianto

'We kick the door down.' Ianto could hear the determination in Lorent's voice.

An agonising five minutes later the door clicked open and Lorent and Gren ran into the room. Ianto followed more cautiously. His time at Torchwood had taught him a few things, especially when Jack was in 'training' mode and you could find yourself trapped in a compromising position or hanging from the ceiling by your ankle at any given time. One particularly memorable occasion had involved both.

Ianto moved into the room and saw Lorent cradling Burtie's head as he lay on the floor, his nose a bloody mess. Gren was picking what appeared to be a first aid kit down from the wall.

'What happened?' asked Ianto.

'Rax wants to save the council from the gas attack. He said if I helped him I would be assured safety. I don't know what he's up to but I don't think the council are letting on all they know.'

Gren opened the white box and withdrew a metallic capsule. She held it close to Burtie's nose and broke it in half. A blue swarm came out and surrounded his nose.

'What's that?' asked Ianto, awestruck.

'Nanogens.' replied Lorent. 'Don't you have them on your planet?'

'No. That should have taken a few weeks to heal. They're amazing.'

'Just give me a few minutes. I need your help' said Burtie.

'I hoped you were going to say that' replied Lorent.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTW

'So why are we still hanging around here then?' asked Donna, annoyed. 'If there's nothing you can do you're just getting in their way.'

'I haven't had a rest for a long time Donna. Always running, running, running. Do me good, a rest. Anyway I might think of something yet. Just give me a bit of space.' Donna sighed. She was worried about Jack in particular. The team seemed to be falling apart without Ianto there.

'I'm going to have another go at that coffee machine. Must be a knack to it.' The doctor watched Donna walk up the stairs towards the kitchen. He stood still for a good tem minutes, eyes shut, his brain whirring.

'I'VE GOT IT' he yelled triumphantly as he ran back into the TARDIS which promptly dematerialised.


End file.
